Bruce Alan Brown (December 1, 1937 – December 10, 2017) was an American documentary

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

, known as an early pioneer of the surf film. He was the father of filmmaker Dana Brown.

Biography

Brown's films include ''Slippery When Wet'' (1958), ''

Surf Crazy ''Surf Crazy'' is a 1959 film directed by Bruce Brown. His second surf film, it follows surfers to Mexico, Hawaii and California. Among the locations filmed was Velzyland in Hawaii, named for Brown's employer, surfboard manufacturer Dale Velzy ...

'' (1959), ''Barefoot Adventure'' (1960), ''Surfing Hollow Days'' (1961), ''Waterlogged'' (1962), and his best known film, ''

The Endless Summer ''The Endless Summer'' is a 1966 American surf documentary film directed, produced, edited and narrated by Bruce Brown. The film follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a surfing trip around the world. Despite the balmy mediterrane ...

'' (1964), which received nationwide theatrical release in 1966. Considered among the most influential in the genre, ''The Endless Summer'' follows surfers Mike Hynson and

Robert August Robert August (born 1945) is an American surfer and surfboard shaper. Raised in Seal Beach, California, he attended Huntington Beach High School where he was ASB President his senior year. He is most famous as one of the subjects of Bruce Brow ...

around the world. Thirty years later, in 1994 Brown filmed ''

The Endless Summer II ''The Endless Summer II'' is a 1994 film directed by Bruce Brown and is a sequel to his 1966 film ''The Endless Summer''. In ''The Endless Summer II'', surfers Pat O'Connell and Robert "Wingnut" Weaver retrace the steps of Mike Hynson and Ro ...

'' with his son Dana. He also made a number of short films including ''The Wet Set'', featuring the Hobie-MacGregor Sportswear Surf Team and one of the earliest skateboarding films, ''America's Newest Sport'', presenting the Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard Team. These short films, along with some unused footage from ''The Endless Summer'', were included in the DVD ''Surfin' Shorts'', as part of the ''Golden Years of Surf'' collection. Brown went beyond surfing a few times with films about motorcycle sport, ''

On Any Sunday ''On Any Sunday'' is a 1971 American documentary film about motorcycle sport, directed by Bruce Brown. It was nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

'' (1971), which is held in high regard as one of the best motorcycle documentaries of all time, ''On Any Sunday II'' (1981), ''Baja 1000 Classic'' (1991), and ''On Any Sunday: Revisited'' (2000). He made a guest appearance in the ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...

'' episode "

SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One", also known as "The Secret of Kahuna Laguna" and "SpongeBob SquarePants and The Big Wave" is the 11th episode of the sixth season and the 111th overall episode of the American animated television series '' ...

". In 2003, together with Alex Mecl, Brown revived Bruce Brown Films, LLC with the intent of protecting Brown's legacy and intellectual property, including his trademarks, copyrights, and vast film archives. The company continues to carry on Bruce Brown's legacy while serving the many loyal fans worldwide. Brown died of natural causes in Santa Barbara, California, nine days after his 80th birthday.

Posthumous documentary

After the death of Brown's wife and filmmaking partner Patricia in 2006, he went into a depression, unable to leave his home. This was a significant change from his previously very active lifestyle. His children, including the eldest, filmmaker Dana Brown, embarked on a camper road trip with the senior Brown to reconnect him with the groundbreaking surfers that had been his friends and compatriots since the 1950s. The trip was filmed, capturing Bruce Brown's return to joy. Originally planned as a series of webisodes, after Bruce Brown's death the project became a feature-length film, ultimately titled ''A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story.'' It was completed in 2020 and featured in the Newport Beach Film Festival's shortened season that August. Due to Covid restrictions, the film was shown at a makeshift drive-in theater at a local mall. The film went on to limited release in a number of film festivals in surfing Meccas.

Awards and honors

*Inducted into the AMA

Motorcycle Hall of Fame The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycle ...

in 1999. *A 2009 inductee into the Surfers' Hall of Fame in

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

. * On 19 September 2019, a statue of Bruce Brown at Waterman Plaza on Pacific Coast Highway in

Dana Point Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...

joins memorials to Hobie Alter and Phil Edwards.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Bruce 1937 births 2017 deaths American surfers American documentary filmmakers Motorcycling mass media people People from San Francisco